Dratini Lost
by Blooming Sapphira
Summary: One the way to Professor Oak's lab, Astra a new trainer, ran into a lost Dratini. She has promised to bring it to it's home. On the way she meets a few trainers and becomes close friends with one in particular. When the time comes to leave, will Dratini go home or stay with Astra. Reviews are welcome. Disclaimer: Do not own Pokemon.
1. First Encounter

The morning was bright and clear on Astra Redwood's tenth birthday. The bright, silvered eye girl woke up with the sunrise, excitement not letting her sleep any longer. Not only was it her birthday but it was also the day that Professor Oak was giving out Pokemon and she was able to get her Trainer License. She slid out of her bed with a huge grin on her face. She couldn't wait to head over to Pallet Town. She had no clue what Pokemon she would get but she knew that she would get the right one for her. She doubled checked her backpack, making sure everything was packed. She added a few more potions and poke`mon food. Being the daughter of the Nurse Joy in Viridian City taught her that she should take great care of the creatures she would travel alongside with.

Astra lived on the top floor of the Pokemon Center, no trainer was allowed up there. Her room was across the hall from her sister, who following tradition was also named Joy. She looked the most like the kind pink haired woman who took care of sick and injured Pokemon. The ten year old on the other hand looked more like her father, a man she hadn't seen all her life. She had short, black hair and determined silver eyes that shined like the moonlight when in the right light. Her sister who is almost sixteen is following in Nurse Joy's footsteps, but Astra hadn't decided who she was going to be and thus decided that traveling would help her discover herself.

She ran down to the kitchen, knowing that her mother would be too busy too cook anything and her sister was probably still in her room studying to be a poke`mon nurse. She was just going to have a quiet breakfast to herself, but her plan was busted when she saw her sister cooking next to Chansey. She stood there stunned at the sight. The long, pink haired young woman turned toward the birthday girl with a gentle smile on her face that showed she would be a good nurse, just like their mother.

"Don't tell me that you are going to Professor Oak's Lab in your pj's?"

Astra shook her head, pulling out of her stunned expression. "I have plenty of time to eat breakfast and change before I have to get going. So what brought this on and what are we having, sis?"

"The birthday girl shouldn't have to cook on her birthday. We are having eggs. It is a quick meal so you can get on the road and visit Oak in time to get your very first Pokemon." She replied as she put a plate of eggs on the table in front of the black haired girl. She walked over and sat down, chowing down as soon as her butt hit the hard wood of the chair. She ate politely but quickly wanting to get on the road. Joy sat down beside her with her own plate, letting Chansey clean up. The two sister's ate in silence, like they did at every meal. It wasn't like they hated each other. They just felt like there was no need to fill the air with senseless jabber.

Once finish, Astra stood up and quickly cleaned her plate. She wasn't going to let Chansey do it since she would be busy carrying meals to sick Pokemon and to Nurse Joy. She left the kitchen, waving goodbye to her sister. When she was out of the room she could hear a muffled 'Happy Birthday' from Joy. She started running to her room, the excitement taking over once more. The smile on her face was as large as the crescent moon. She stopped long enough not to run into her bedroom door and to take a breath. She walked in casually and began to dress in a flash. She put on a pair of navy blue skinny jeans, a black tank top, an aqua blue short sleeved jacket, and a pair of black high tops which finished off her tomboy look. She ignored the one and only hat she owned. She wasn't a hat person and felt that the hood on her jacket would keep her head dry if it rained. She slung her black backpack over her shoulder and left her room, going downstairs once more.

This time the black haired girl went off to the front of the Pokemon Center. She had to tell her mother goodbye. It would be rude of her if she didn't. She knew that this wasn't going to be the last time she would see the gentle and kindhearted woman. After all Pokemon Centers were where trainers of all ages and skills came to take care of their Pokemon's needs. She walked up to the counter after a trainer left to wait on their Pokemon. She smiled as she leaned against it.

"Hey, I am going now."

Nurse Joy looked up from the computer she was at. She looked like an older version of Joy, her pink hair was pulled up into an interesting bun with two loops coming off the sides of it. She had a gentle motherly smile on her face. "Alright dear, I can't wait to see your first Pokemon. I hope you are well prepared to take on this responsibility."

Astra nodded, smiling as well. She was trying to contain her excitement. "I will come straight her after meeting with Professor Oak."

The girl turned to leave, waving goodbye to her mother and her life at the Pokemon Center. The warm morning air greeted her when she exited the building. She took a deep breath in as she gripped onto the strap of her pack. She then left the sleepy city known as Viridian City.

On an important day like today, Astra had expected the road to be busy with trainers and would be trainers, but it was quiet. Not a soul was in sight. It was sort of eerie for the ten year old girl. She gripped tighter on the strap of her pack. She made sure to stay on the road, avoiding places where poke`mon liked to hang out. Over head a flock of Pidgey flew overhead, relaxing her a little bit. A few Ratatta ran across the road, playing with one another. It was a good thing that no wild Pokemon attacked, for until she could get a Pokemon of her own, she could not defend herself. She didn't let that thought damper her mood, because after she sees the professor she would be able to protect herself and capture more Pokemon.

A few hours had passed and nothing happened. A few flocks of Pidgey flew over her head, adding more to the peace. Astra smiled as she took a break beneath a tree that was near the river. She pulled an apple from her pack, hungry from the long trek. As she shined the apple against her jacket, she looked at her watch. She figured that she still had plenty of time. It wasn't like Oak was going to run out of Pokemon. After an incident a few years ago that had to do with a wild Pikachu going to a beginner trainer, he made sure to have more than enough Pokemon to go around. She leaned against the tree as she took a bite out of the apple.

A small splash could be heard in the quiet. Astra looked over at the water, startled slightly by the sound that cut through the peaceful morning. Poking it's head out of the water was a blue Pokemon. It had small fin like projections on the side of it's head. It's blue body was long and slender, probably to help it cut through the water when it swims. It was unlike any Pokemon she had seen before.

The Pokemon looked at the apple in Astra's hand with hungry eyes. The girl broke the fruit, holding the bigger piece out toward the pitiful thing. It looked between her and the food that was in her hand. It seemed timid and afraid of her, making her think that it was a young wild Pokemon. The girl frowned a little with worry.

"It is okay. Go ahead and take it." She said as she leaned forward. The strange water Pokemon shrank back from her. She frowned as she put the apple in between it and her, closer to the shore than her. She then leaned back against the tree, watching it with gentle eyes. She hoped to show it that she wasn't going to harm it. She wondered if it was lost or something. It definitely didn't fit in with the Pokemon that was around Viridian and Pallet.

"Are you lost, little one?"

"Dra." It nodded sadly. It moved toward the shore and the bit of apple that Astra had laid in front of it. It ate quickly. The girl put the piece of apple that was for herself down, closer to her. The poke`mon moved closer to her to eat it. It was close enough for her to touch it.

"You poor thing. I promise that I won't harm you, little one."

"Tini?" The Pokemon tilted it's head as it finished the apple. It looked like it was still a little afraid of her. The girl reached out her hand toward the strange Pokemon to gently touch it. It sniffed her hand, testing to see if she was trust worthy or not.

After a few minutes of taking in her scent, it butted it's nose against her hand. Astra smiled and ran her hand over it's head. The skin was smooth and wet, and yet it was still warm to the touch. She wondered if all water Pokemon felt like this. She felt it tremor a little but the longer she petted the Pokemon the more it relaxed and soon it warmed up to her. Maybe she had a bit of her mother in her after all. That was a good thing in her mind and it made her chuckle lightly.

"Maybe I can help you find your home, little one."

"Dra!"

Astra turned her head and put her hand to her chin in a thoughtful manner. "Where would your home be? I have never seen any Pokemon like you before."

"Dra?"

The girl sighed. She figured that this Pokemon was far from home. She smiled as she turned back to the young Pokemon. "Maybe Professor Oak will know. I have to see him anyway."

"Ti!" It waved it's tail happily and seemed to smile. Astra hoped that it was smiling, though it was hard to tell with it's large nose blocking it's mouth from view.

Astra stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes. She slung the bag back over her shoulder. She moved back onto the road. The strange Pokemon was hesitant to follow, though when she turned back to the tree it gained the courage to go to her. There was something about her that made it feel safe. It rushed to her side. It climbed up her and wrapped it's tail around her waist, resting it's head on her shoulder as she headed toward Pallet.


	2. The Mirage Pokemon?

On top of the hill, Astra looked at the small town in front of her. There were far less houses and buildings than there was in Viridian City. Pallet Town didn't even have a gym. Though there was a building where people were coming in and out of. The girl figured that was Professor Oak's Lab. She turned toward the pokemon whose head rested on her shoulder.

"We are almost there."

"Dra!" It's head perked up. To it, it was one step closer to going home. The snake like pokemon grew happier with the thought. Maybe the girl could actually help it. It felt like it was right to trust her. The nice girl giggled as it wiggled with excitement, tickling her sides a little with it's tail.

Astra began to walk to the lab. A few people stopped in the streets and looked straight at her. The expressions on their faces were a mix of surprise and envy, and a few had a very happy expression on their faces. Most of the faces were full of questions, as if they had never seen that kind of pokemon before. It just proved to her just how rare and out of place this little one was. She raised a hand to reassure the pokemon, that shrunk it's head behind her back. It was trying to hide from all of these people. It shivered under her touch, despite all her attempts to comfort it.

As she moved through the town, the throng of people seemed to be lessening. It relaxed her, mainly because the pokemon was relaxing as well. Trainers were leaving and saying goodbye to their families. The streets were nearly empty now. It was almost like the road to Pallet. If it weren't for all the pokemon running and playing in town, she would have found it very eerie for a town to be so quiet.

The black haired girled walked up to Oak's Lab. The first part of her journey was nearly over. It excited her to know that she was one step closer to helping this young pokemon. The excitement made her pick up the pace. She really wanted to know what this pokemon was. She didn't care that she missed her chance to get her first Pokemon. She had met a wonderful and unique pokemon on the road. It was turning out to be a great birthday.

By the time Astra got up to Oak's Lab, a graying man in a white lab coat and brown slacks was heading into the lab. She could only guess that man was the Professor. She picked up the pace once more to catch up to him. She hoped that she wouldn't be bothering the man. She knew that if she let him get inside, he would go straight to work and she would end up bothering him. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Professor, hold on a sec." She said as she got behind him. The man turned around with a surprised look on his face. Up close she could see his face. It looke weathered with age. His eyes sparkled, giving him a more youthful look. Beneath his lab coat was a red shirt.

"Oh, Astra what are you doing here?" Oak asked before noticing the pokemon that was trying to hide behind her. "What do we have here? I didn't know you were a trainer."

"I am not. I just turned ten today. I was supposed to get my first pokemon from you." Astra replied as she tried to get the pokemon to relax. "I found this little one on my way here. I have never seen this kind of pokemon around here before."

Oak nodded in agreement. This pokemon was rare. Not many people in Kanto got the chance to see this kind of pokemon before. Even fewer have been able to catch one. And yet here was young Astra with this pokemon. It was very interesting to the Pokemon researcher. He wondered how she was able to get it to trust her like this.

"What you have there is a Dratini."

"A Dratini?"

Oak nodded again and openned the door to his lab. "Yes. Why don't we move this discussion inside? I have water going for tea."

Astra nodded. "Sounds good to me."

The two walked inside and just in time too, the teapot was just going off. A loud whistle sounded throughout the building, causing many pokemon to freak out. Oak told the girl to have a seat while he served the tea. Dratini held on tight to Astra, very nervous around the Professor. It didn't exactly trust his older man. Astra gently patted it's head, wanting it to ease up on her torso. She could barely breathe from how tight it was hugging her.

"It is alright, Dratini, Oak is a good friend to pokemon. He is a pokemon researcher. He would rather understand pokemon than harm them."

Oak nodded as he came back with the tea and even some pokemon food. Even though he had been surprised by the visit, he seemed prepared. He was full of surprises himself. He sat down and handed the girl her cup. He also put the bowl of food close to the pokemon. It sniffed at the food, thinking that the pellets were different than what it normally ate. It wasn't too sure if it should eat them or not. It looked at Astra with confused eyes.

"Its okay. This is what trainers feed their pokemon." Astra picked up a pellet and popped it into her mouth. It didn't taste too bad. Seeing her eat the strange food, Dratini unwound itself form the ten year old and began to eat.

"Now that we are settled, why don't you tell me how you ran into this Dratini?"

Astra tol Oak what happened. To her it wasn't all great of a tale. It was very short but the professor seemed interested none the less. As she told the tale, the professor nodded and sipped his tea. When she was done speaking he put the cup down. It wasn't even half empty. She took a drink of her tea while she waited for him to speak.

"Well it seems that Dratini is pretty attached to you. He will look for you to guidance. He isn't a pokemon that is normally around here. No I should say that he is very rarely seen. He is probably very far away from home and his parents."

Astra nodded as Dratini sighed sadly. She petted him softly. "I want to take him home but I have no clue where that is."

Oak stood up and went to a desk. He pulled something out of a drawer. He came back with a small red device. "This should help you out with your mission."

Astra took it. "What is it?"

"It is a pokedex. It is a pokemon encyclopedia. It knows a lot about the pokemon in this region. Why don't you try it?"

Astra nodded. She opened the machine. She pointed it toward the Dratini. It spoke in a robotic voice. "Dratini the dragon pokemon. It is called the "Mirage Pokemon" because so few have seen it. Its shed skin has been found."

Astra smiled as the pokedex gave her information on the Dragon type in front of her. She ran her hand over his head. She giggled at her folly. "So you are not a water type huh?" She had assumed that Dratini had been a water type because she had seen it in the river.

"Ti ni." He seemed to giggle with her.

"It seems like you found your first pokemon all on your own. So take these with you." Oak handed her six pokeballs. "You are going to need them for this mission of yours."

Astra beamed at Oak. She was grateful for all he has done for her today. She knew that all trainers got extra pokeballs from the professor as well as the pokedex but he helped her find more out about Dratini. For that she was eternally grateful. "Thank you, Professor."

"One other thing. I suggest you capture Dratini. There has been a rise in organized crime. Team Rocket is still out there, stealing Pokemon from trainers and they are looking for really rare ones."

Astra bit her lip. She didn't know if she would ruin Dratini's trust if she tried to capture him. She didn't want him to hate her or try to run off. She wanted to help him find his family. This was really troublesome for the girl, even though she knew that this would keep the pokemon safe while on the road.

"Dratini, I know that this might be strange of me to ask but I need you to go into this pokeball. It is for your safety."

"Dra?" The Dratini tilted its head. He was confused by the request. He watched as Astra put the ball down in front of him. He leaned forward and investigated the strange object. As he did that, his nose pressed the button in the middle of the ball. A bright red light engulfed the dragon pokemon, startling him. The light pulled him in and closed.

Astra waited with baited breath for it to stop shaking. It seemed to take forever but it eventually stopped moving, a small click was heard that signaled that the pokemon was caught. She picked up the ball and looked at it. She then turned it away from her. "Dratini come on out."

A red light shot out of the ball and the dragon pokemon appeared in front of her. He stretched out and turned toward Astra. He wagged his tail and slithered toward her, rubbing his head against her leg happily. She giggled and patted his head. She was glad that he wasn't upset about going into the pokeball.

"You two will be the best of friends, I can feel it." Oak said as Astra smiled.

"Thank you, Professor. You have been a load of help."

He chuckled. "No problem. Now you better call him back and be on your way. You will want to get to Viridian Cisty before dark."

Astra nodded. She called Dratini back. They had no clue that they were being watched through the window. Hiding in the bushes next to the lab were two people. They had seen everything.


	3. Blasting Off

Two people sat in wait, hiding in the bushes beside the lab. Originally they had a plan to steal the pokemon in the lab but when they saw Astra come in with her Dratini, the plan changed. They watched the girl's interraction with the Professor and when she headed for the door. The rare pokemon was safe in it's ball, for now. They couldn't believe their luck. The male of the two had long green hair pulled into a soft ponytail, to the point that the ponytail holder almost fell out of his hair. He wore a white uniform and black boots. On the chest of his shirt was a red 'R', symbolizing the organization he was in. He turned toward a beautiful female. He looked at her with hazel eyes.

"Did you see that, Romona? That girl has a Dratini! Can you imagine what the boss would do if we gave him one?"

Romona's long blonde hair was braided down the back. When she moved to look at her partner the braid slid onto her shoulder. She looked at the man with young and excited sapphire blue eyes. She wore a similar uniform to her companion. Except for white pants, she wore a white skirt that reached to her upper thigh. Her black boots reached to her knees. She grinned excitedly, it reached her eyes.

"We could be promoted. Get a comfy position as an administrator instead of being a lowly grunt. Just imagine it, Max!" She could barely keep her voice down due to her excitement.

Max or actually Maximus shook his head at Romona. She was a rookie but showed great potentioal. If only she could keep her excitement down, as well as her voice. He looked back to the door as it opened. Oak was showing the girl out.

"Shh... she's coming out."

Astra walked past their hiding spot. They followed her, staying in the bushes that followed along the road. They wanted to stay hidden from view. They thought that a full on attack would make them successful in their attempt to get Dratini. They knew that this girl was new on the road. It was going to be like taking candy from a baby. Romona had to stifle a giggle as they rushed to get ahead of the black haired girl. They would ambush her, making sure that she would not be able to escape them. They hid in two bushes, giving a space in between for them to trap her.

Astra walked down the road toward Viridian. She was looking at Dratini's pokeball. She couldn't believe that he was her first pokemon. She was too distracted to listen to the rustling that came from the bushes.

A person jumped right in front of her, causing her to gasp. She took a step back, nearly bumping into a second person that had jumped behind her. She was trapped between these too beings. She was too afraid to take in anyone's appearance. She felt a strong male hand touch her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. She knew now that the person in front of her was a woman. She saw her long blonde hair and the short skirt. She looked up at the male behind her, seeing his long green hair that nearly fell out of the ponytail holder.

"Where do you think you are going, little girl?" The male said. Astra pulled out of the man's hold, shaking her head. She held the pokeball closer to her. She held it to her chest, trying to protect it from their view.

"Who are you?" She asked the two uniformed people, taking in their appearance. She wanted to make sure she could describe them to an officer Jenny, in case they attacked her. Maybe there was a clue in the 'R' on their chest as to who they were.

The people chuckled. They looked at one another with a grin. "Poor girl doesn't know who we are, Romona."

The blonde woman pouted. "She is so naive as to not know and still hold on to that pokeball. We should inform her, Max. Then she could give us that Dratini easily."

"We shall." The man nodded as he walked toward the woman named Romona. She grinned and crossed her armos over her chest. The man turned toward his companion. "Will you begin?"

Romona nodded. "Prepare for trouble!"

The man called Max spoke next. "Make it double."

"To infect the world with devastation!"

The pair took turns with this weird motto. It was the guy's turn. "To blight all people in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love." Romona said passionately.

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Romona!" The woman brushed the braid off her shoulder, flamboyantly.

"And Maximus!" The man smiled and winked at Astra. The young girl blushed a little and took a step back, moving closer to the river. She was trying to form a plan to protect Dratini. She didn't really care too much about herself.

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and all night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

Astra's eyes opened wide. Now she definitely knew that she had to keep Dratini away from these two. This was the group that Professor Oak tried to warn her about. Team Rocket, the pokemon thieves. One thing the black haired girl knew was that she wasn't going to let them have Dratini. She had to protect him no matter what. The river was loud in her ears, as she was so close to it. Maybe she could use it to her advantage.

"Now be a good girl and give us that Dratini!" Max said to the girl as he turned toward her.

Astra grew a determined look in her silver eyes. It seemed to make them sparkle in the sunlight. She tightened her grip on the pokeball in her hand. She glared at the thieves. "No way you thieves are going to get Dratini!"

Both of them laughed like this was a silly thing for the black haired girl to say. The green haired man turned toward the blonde woman. "It looks like she wants a fight."

The woman nodded as they both grabbed a pokeball. Her voice was the first to ring out. "Go Gloom!"

"I choose you, Growlithe!"

Two pokemon shot out from the balls. One had what looked to be berries and leaves on it's head. It drooled and had it's eyes closed. The other was a red and black striped dog like pokemon. It growled at the silver eyed girl. Astra pulled out her pokedex to find out more about these pokemon. She pointed it at the woman's pokemon first, the one with the berries. It spoke in a robotic voice. "Gloom, the Weed Pokemon. Gloom gives off a very unpleasant smell. While strong against Water Pokemon, Gloom is weak against Fire and Flying types."

She turned toward the growling pokemon next. It spoke in the same voice as before. "Growlithe, a Puppy Pokemon of pleasant demeanor and great diligence. It drives enemies away with barks and bites."

Astra closed her pokedex and put it back in her pocket. The only way to save Dratini was to fight, or make it look like that. She didn't want to call upon him but he was her only pokemon. She had no choice. She tossed the pokeball up into the air. "Come on out, Dratini!"

The dragon type came out in a blast of red. It looked at the threatening pokemon and ran behind the nice girl, looking at her for protection. It shivered as the villians chuckled. They thought that this was going to be very easy.

Romona giggled excitedly as she called out the first move. "Gloom use acid!"

Maximus narrowed his eyes. He was not going to underestimate this girl. "Growlithe use Ember."

Astra narrowed her eyes as she stood between the attacks and Dratini. She waited for the moves to get closer to her. Right as the purple goo and the small fire came right at them, she ordered her pokemon. "Dratini go into the water, now!"

The blue pokemon jumped into the river as Astra dodged to the side. The acid attacked landed in the water. The ember attack singed her pants and shoes. She looked to the water to see Dratini poke his head out. He was safe for now. She sighed in relief but it was too soon as Gloom used poison powder.

"Dratini dive under!" The blue pokemon dove into the water, dodging the powder. Growlithe just seemed to wait for it to resurface. It was just as patient as it's owner. Romona and Gloom was anxious, they keep on attacking.

A bush rustled close to Astra. She looked over to see a yellow spikey pokmeon run out. It ran right in front of her, protecting her. It lowered it's head and got into a threatening stance, growling at the thieves and their pokemon. "Jolt!"

A powerful lightning attack. It's fur bristled and sparks danced along the tips. The attack hit Growlithe, pushing it away from the water. The strange pokemon rushed at the Gloom, jolts of electricty jumped along the fur. The grass pokemon dodged the attack, upon orders of Romona. Growlithe didn't get back up from when it was attacked. Max was beside him, checking him over. The newcomer wasn't deterred from it's miss as it tackled the stinky pokemon back to it's owner, knocking it out.

"Jolt...eon!" A powerful thunderbolt came from the pokemon. It was aimed right at Team Rocket. Max's eyes narrowed at Astra. He yelled a warning to the girl before the attack hit. "We will get that Dratini! Mark my words, we will get him!"

The attacks was powerful enough to send the thieves and their pokemon into the sky. A faint yell could be heard from the distance. "We're blasting off!"

As Astra stood up, rustling could be heard once more. Out stepped a figure. The glack haired girl didn't know if this person was friend or foe. 


	4. Savior and the Egg

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Had a bit of writer's block. Letting everyone know that pokemon from some of the other regions will show up in this story. I forgot to mention it in the other chapters.**

* * *

In front of the tomboy was a boy about three years older than she. He had short blue hair. It was spiked up and on each tip was a bit of blonde. He looked at the pokemon that ran up to him with kindness and happiness in his ebony eyes. His hand scratched behind one of those spiky ears of his pokemon.

"Thats a good boy, Jolt." He said as he looked at Astra. "Is everything alright?"

Astra nodded in reply. She took in his attire. He wore a white tee shirt underneath a black leather jacket. His blue jeans were faded and ripped at the hems and knees. His sneakers were worn from travel. "Uh...thank you. I am fine."

The boy smiled in relief. "That is good. I feared that we were late. What were they after any way?"

Astra's eyes widened. In the excitement of the battle she forgot about Dratini. She knew that Team Rocket hadn't gotten him but he could have ran away or got into some other trouble. She leaned over the water's edge and called out for her first and only pokemon. "Dratini! Dratini it is alright to come out now! They are gone!"

Astra's silver eyes searched the liquid for the pokemon. Each moment it didn't appear, her heart dropped with worry. She was about to give up when she heard a small splash. She smiled as her eyes landed on the dragon type. She felt great joy that Dratini came back.

"Ti!" Dratini swam happily over to Astra, ignoring the surprised boy and his pokemon. The black haired girl smiled as she scooped the blue thing out of the water. He snuggled up to her while she turned back around. She kept the pokemon calm by petting his head. She was getting used to his smooth skin.

"They were after this little guy." Astra said softly. The boy was still with surprise. This girl was holding the mirage pokemon.

He shook himself of the shock before the black haired girl could ask him if he was alright or think he was weird. "That is a Dratini. How did you manage to catch him?"

Astra sighed and petted Dratini to keep him calm. Her eyes looked around for the pokeball. "I didn't catch him. I found him in the river, scared and lost, and I am going to take him home to his family."

Astra eventually found the ball, but Dratini had wrapped it's self around her again with his head on her shoulder. He looked comfortable there, so she didn't try to put him back into his pokeball. She pocketed the ball and looked back at the boy who was silent in thought. He was thinking about helping her.

"That is really kind of you. I don't know where Dratini's home is but until you get another pokemon you shouldn't travel alone." He suggested with earnest eyes.

Astra raised a brow. "Are you suggesting that we travel together? I don't know you or anything. Just because you saved me and Dratini from Team Rocket doesn't mean I will go with you."

The boy grinned. "Smart girl, but I am not going to try and take your pokemon away. I am Salem and this is Jolt. He is a jolteon."

Astra held out her hand and smiled. "I am Astra. It is nice to meet you."

Salem grinned and took her hand in his, shaking hands with her. His grip was strong. After the handshake, the girl looked at Jolt. She let him sniff her hand so he could get used to her. "Thank you, Jolt, for saving me and Dratini."

"Jolt teon on on!" Astra smiled and scratched behind Jolt's ear. She then stood up straight. She wasn't going to pull her dex out to find out about the pokemon. She figured that she would get to know him by traveling with Salem.

Astra looked up at Salem and then the sky. It was starting to get darker. The sun was about to set. "Fine, I'll travel with you. We should start going. I don't want Team Rocket to find us here again."

Salem nodded in agreement. They both called back their pokemon into their pokeballs. The road to Viridian City was short, considering that Astra had been ganged up on at the halfway point between Pallet and Viridian. The companions stopped in front of the Pokemon Center.

Astra looked at the building, wondering what she was going to tell her family. She hadn't exactly gotten a normal pokemon as her first pokemon. She knew that the fewer people that knew about Dratint the better but she felt like her family were trustworthy. It didn't matter though, Team Rocket already knew about Dratini. Still it was better to be safe than sorry. Anyone could try to steal Dratini from her.

"You coming?" Salem's voice pierced through Astra's thoughts. He was already at the door. His hand was moving to open the door.

She looked up at him and nodded, a small worry free smile danced on her lips. She decided that she wouldn't worry about it anymore. Her family would keep her secret.

The moment they entered the Center, Astra was tackled by Chansey. The girl giggled and hugged the pink pokemon. It acted like it hadn't seen her in forever.

"Chansey let Astra go, she hasn't been gone for more than eight hours." A gentle voice called from the counter. The hysterical pokemon left the room to tend to the sick pokemon as Nurse Joy walked over to the two with a motherly smile. It was a smile that every trainer was greeted with, but Salem felt that this one held a deeper meaning definitely since it was given to Astra more than him.

"Safe journey?" The nurse asked the new trainer, who nodded in response. "That's good."

The pink haired woman then turned toward the boy next to her daughter. "And who is your friend here?"

"I am Salem, Nurse Joy."

"Nice to meet you, why don't you two go get some dinner and I will talk with Astra when things calm down."

Astra nodded as she grabbed a stunned Salem's arm, dragging him away from the front door. Nurse Joy went back to work as two trainers ran in with injured pokemon. Salem tried to figure out why Nurse Joy wanted to talk with his new companion. They walked through the Pokemon Center in silence. They walked to the cafeteria together. When the blue haired boy was about to enter the room, the black haired girl stopped him. "Where are you going?"

Salem looked at Astra with a puzzled look on his face. "Getting something to eat?"

Astra giggled. "You haven't figured it out yet, have you?"

Salem shook his head and Astra giggled again. "I am the daughter of Nurse Joy which means we don't eat in the cafeteria. Since you are my friend, you can eat for free with me and my family."

The boy's eyes gained a surprised look. He hadn't thought of that. He figured that Nurse Joy had seen Astra grow up or something like that. "Where do we eat then?"

Astra smiled mysteriously. She grabbed his arm again and pulled him away from the cafeteria full of hungry trainers as way of answer. She lead him to a small kitchen that had a small round table with five chairs in one corner. Setting the table was a young woman, about six years older than Astra, with pink hair. She looked a lot like Nurse Joy. He could easily believe her to be the Nurse's daughter.

"Hey sis, what's for dinner?" Astra asked the pink haired girl.

The sister looked up and smiled. Other than her smile, Salem wouldn't have believed her to be Astra's sister. "Your favorite, steak and potatoes, birthday girl. Who's your friend?"

Astra introduced Salem and Joy to one another. The three of them sat down to eat, Chansey brought out a plate to the girl's mother. The meal was awkwardly silent to the boy but he looked at the sisters and saw that the girls were comfortable in the silence. Salem smiled at the two.

"So, Astra, what pokemon did Oak give you?" Joy asked as she cleaned up the dinner dishes.

Astra bit her lip before answering. She thought quickly of a way to postpone showing her sister. "Let's wait for mom. I don't want to keep on releasing him from the pokeball."

Joy nodded in understanding. She pulled a package from below the table. She handed it to her younger sister. "I just couldn't wait any longer. Do open it."

Astra tore open the package eagerly. Inside was a medical kit for humans. She looked at the pink haired sister who spoke. "Knowing your clumsy self you are going to need it."

The black haired girl giggled and put the kit in her backpack. As she leaned back up in her seat, Nurse Joy came into the room with an oval package in her arms. She held it gently, making sure it was safe from being dropped. A look of false disappointment was directed at her eldest. "You started without me."

She then handed the package to her youngest. Astra unwrapped the gift, feeling that she needed to be gentler with this one. She revealed a pokemon egge. Both Salem's and Astra's eyes opened wide with shock. Both Joys giggled at the reaction. "I found it abandoned one day and felt that this was the perfect gift for you. Oh what pokemon did you get from Professor Oak?"

Astra finally revealed Dratini to her family. She felt like she couldn't prolong it any longer. She quickly told them her story, seeing the shocked expressions on their faces. She explained what Oak said and left out Team Rocket's attack. She didn't want to worry the two women. She just told them that she met Salem while coming back home. After the tale was over, it was dark outside. Salem was shone a room and Astra entered her own. She put the egg somewhere safe, and wrapped it in a blanket. She put Dratini's pokeball on her bedside table before going to sleep.


End file.
